DANCINGINTHEDARK Takes Over Top Spot in Ken Warkentin's Road to the Hambletonian
Week Eight– July 15
The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7
East Rutherford, NJ – Dancinginthedark M vaults to #1 in week 8 of Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian. Only two horses in Ken’s top ten are not racing this weekend – Locatelli and Ambassador Hanover. The other eight are all racing at the Meadowlands Racetrack this weekend. For all things Hambletonian visit thehambo.com. #hambo21.
1 | Dancinginthedark M
2 | Venerate
Dan Patch Award winner won his first two qualifiers, broke in his 3YO debut @ Big M on June 26, rebounded with a parked out post nine 1:52.1 score in the slop in a Reynolds division on July 10, post three in the second Dancer division
| Reynolds | Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |
3 | In Range
Won his 3YO debut in a career best of 1:52.3 in PASS @ The Meadows, broke/seventh in PASS @ Pocono, fourth placed third (1:52) @ Big M on June 11, third in a Yonkers Trot elimination, third in Final, post seven in a Big M overnight on July 16
| PA Sire Stakes |
4 | Johan Palema
Took a mark of 1:53.2 in his PASS 3YO debut @ The Meadows, second to stablemate Ambassador Hanover in a 1:53 PASS division @ Pocono, won a Yonkers Trot elimination in 1:54.1, wire-to-wire in Final (1:55 in slop), post five in a Big M overnight on July 16
5 | Sonofamistery
Third in the NJSS Final, wire-to-wire in a 3YO Open @ Big M in a career best of 1:51.2 (:27.3) on June 11, lapped on break on June 25 & placed second (1:51.1), broke late again/second (1:52.1) in a Reynolds division, post seven in the second Dancer division
| M1 Prep|
7 | Take All Comers
1:52.3 Bluegrass winner at two, followed up a 1:53.2 PASS upset @ Phl on June 23 with a second (1:52) in a Reynolds division in rain storm conditions on July 10, post five in the first Dancer division
8 | Captain Corey
2YO PASS champion romped to a new mark of 1:53 in his 2021 debut, then broke on June 23, rebounded with a sharp 1:53 Big M qualifier on July 10, post two in the second Dancer division
9 | Cuatro De Julio
Won 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3), second again (1:52.2) in the NJSS Final, won a Red Mile qualifier in 1:56.2 on June 30, post five in the second Dancer division
10 | Ambassador Hanover
Three-time NYSS winner at two, took a mark of 1:53 in his 3YO debut @ Vernon Downs on June 4, second in the EBC & Yonkers Trot elimination & Final, 1:55.3 NYSS winner @ Yonkers on July 13
KEY PREP RACES
Hambletonian Eligibles in Caps
| Date | Stakes | Site | Winner | Driver | Trainer | 2nd Horse | 3rd Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | Dexter Cup | Fhld | Incommunicado | Yannick Gingras | Ake Svanstedt | Sunny Crockett | Fifty Ways | 1:56.3 |
| May 14 | NJSS | M | CUATRO DE JULIO | Lucas Wallin | Marie Ortolan Bar | MON AMOUR | LOCATELLI | 1:53.1 |
| May 14 | NJSS | M | LINDYSMUSCLEMANIA | Dexter Dunn | Ake Svanstedt | REALLY FAST | BEE FOREVER | 1:51.4 |
| May 14 | NJSS | M | Narzario | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | KILDARE KING | CRICKET FASHION | 1:53 |
| May 15 | PASS | Mea | Whiskey Blue | Dan Charlino | Ron Burke | Capstone | Mister Boinga | 1:53.4 |
| May 15 | PASS | Mea | IN RANGE | Tim Tetrick | Marcus Melander | Jujubee | Lepanto | 1:52.3 |
| May 15 | PASS | Mea | JOHAN PALEMA | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | ARNOLD N DICKY | TAKE ALL COMERS | 1:53.2 |
| May 21 | NJSS | M | LOCATELLI | Yannick Gingras | Nancy Takter | SONOFAMISTERY | CRICKET FASHION | 1:52.4 |
| May 21 | NJSS | M | MON AMOUR | Yannick Gingras | Ake Svanstedt | CUATRO DE JULIO | KILDARE KING | 1:52 |
| May 28 | NJSS Final | M | REALLY FAST | Yannick Gingras | Nancy Takter | CUATRO DE JULIO | SONOFAMISTERY | 1:52.2 |
| May 31 | PASSl | PcD | Jujubee | Tony Hall | Greg Wright JrNancy Takter | Capstone | Ceffyl Dwr | 1:54.4 |
| May 31 | PASS | PcD | CAPTAIN COREY | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | Lepanto | Fifty Ways | 1:53.4 |
| May 31 | PASSl | PcD | DELAYED HANOVER | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | Johan Palema | Type A | 1:53 |
| June 11 | Prep | 3YO Open | SONOFAMISTERY | Brian Sears | Marcus Melander | CALLE PALEMA | IN RANGE | 1:51.2 |
| June 23 | PASS | Phi | DELAYED HANOVER | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | Jujubee | TYPE A | 1:55 |
| June 23 | PASS | Phl | TAKE ALL COMERS | David Miller | Jim Campbell | GOODASHIM | FLY LIGHT | 1:53.2 |
| July 10 | Reynolds | M | DANCINGINTHEDARK | Tim Tetrick | Marcus Melander | TAKE ALL COMERS | ZENITH STRIDE | 1:51.4 |
| July 10 | Reynolds | M | VENERATE | Andy Miller | Julie Miller | SONOFAMISTERY | JULIE MILLER | 1:52.1 |
| July 13 | NYSS | YR | AMBASSADOR HANOVER | Ake Svanstedt | Ake Svanstedt | Credit Con | Steel | 1:55.3 |
| July 17 | Dancer | M | ||||||
| July 17 | Dancer | M | ||||||
| July 23 | PASS | Mea | ||||||
| July 24 | Tompkins-Geers | M | ||||||
| July 31 | Hambo Eliminations | M |
